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Camino 2018

April - June 2018
A 51-day adventure by Jill Read more
  • 46footprints
  • 3countries
  • 51days
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  • 7videos
  • 811kilometers
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  • TravelerCamino 2018
    1
    Day 17

    Visigoth church and...wildflowers

    May 8, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    A lovely walk on a perfect surface in perfect weather - not cold but with enough cloud cover that my sunburnt feet were happy. About 17km from Aljucén to Alcuéscar, through national park. Once here I caught a taxi out to see Santa Lucía del Trampal - a Visigoth church that has survived since the 7th Century. Quite remarkable. Staying tonight in a very nice German hostal and we’ve just had a great meal. Tomorrow I’m promised hot churros at the local bar at 6am! What a way to start the day.Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2018
    Day 19

    The joy of a washing machine.

    May 10, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Last night I stayed in Câceres in a nicely situated but rather dingy old hotel, tonight I’m in a spacious and bright modern apartment in Casar de Cáceres. With a washing machine, oh joy! I have on swimmers while every other bit of clothing goes through the wash.

    Cáceres was heaving with people as the city prepared for a 4 day Womad (world music) festival. Technical vehicles everywhere putting up stages and lights and hooking up amplifiers (and testing them). The contrast with the medieval buildings makes an interesting juxtaposition- particularly when one long van got stuck in a narrow street corner. The city centre is another world heritage site. Fabulous lunch at LaMinerva restaurant.

    Leaving Càceres this morning was a truly frightening experience as it meant walking for 3km along a very busy road with a narrow shoulder. Cars and trucks going full pelt. It won’t be long before some poor pilgrim has a sticky end. I was really glad to get off onto a side path and across the fields. First time I’ve felt truly frightened on this Camino.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2018
    2
    Day 20

    Luxury albergue by the embalse

    May 11, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    A 22 km walk today.

    Casar de Cáceres was an unexpectedly pleasant village - obviously great local pride as they had made a very welcoming green arcade into town - vine covered trellis walkway and shady trees. A good local bar and an excellent apartment I’d reserved to share with the two other Aussie girls walking. It had a little back courtyard garden and we invited our walking friends round for a shared dinner to say goodbye to Uli and Harold. They have been steadfast companions since Seville but Harold’s hip had become increasingly painful and he could not continue.

    Today’s walk was beautiful for the most part, across gently rolling hills along a gravel path, past wildflowers, horses, sheep and sleek cows, a Roman road (well preserved) then beside the dam with a narrow rather rocky up and down path and finally about 4 kilometres of hard unforgiving bitumen. Across two long bridges high above the water - Ian, I looked straight ahead and did not look down!

    My feet and legs felt the pounding of the last 4km on roadway and I had to stop to take out the extra 750mls of water from my pack. Knowing there were no water supplies anywhere along the route I’d put in extra. And I was grateful I had.

    This albergue is excellent - and I’m grateful it is open because it seems to have been closed for the last few years. It is rather in the middle of nowhere (no villages or towns for another 10km) but a nice site overlooking the Embalse (dam). Terrific hot showers, good rooms and facilities. I’m looking forward to dinner!    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2018
    Day 21

    Motorbikes in Cañaveral

    May 12, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Maggie (Oz, remote area RN) and I rejected the road route taken by most of the other pilgrims this morning, and instead took the “alpista” path or Camino Naturale. A bit of a climb and then we were on a ridge for about 12km. Lovely. Went past the Ave high speed train line construction. There is a huge bridge that must have cost many millions of euros, with a tiny span in the middle still to be completed. We heard a story that it has been the same for the last three years, since the money ran out, but it looks like an active construction site to me, with good looking heavy construction vehicles parked on site. It’s Saturday so nothing is working (of course) so hard to tell what is happening. Ian, magnify the photo under and you will see the bridge in part.

    Then a rocky path down to this town, and a bar that seems to be the centre of a motorbike convention. The bar has a collection of miniature motorbikes and posters of races etc. I caused mirth with the BMW riders when suggesting they give me a lift to Santiago. But all nice guys (mature age!) and they love my attempts to speak Spanish - they reckon you should join me in Spain Ian, and they will find you a bike!

    Staying at another nice albergue here tonight. Most of the others are going further, but I know there is no accommodation left for 28km (I phoned ahead), and on top of the 12 already completed that is too much for me.

    Photos show the dam as we left it in the early morning light, and other assorted images from the day.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2018
    Day 21

    There is always a fiesta...

    May 12, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    There is a fiesta here tonight - in the Playa Major (the place that looked dead this morning is now hopping). And tomorrow a Romería to the ermita this side of Grimaldo - followed by on-site food, grog, dancing etc. I might not get to Grimaldo!Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2018
    11
    Day 22

    The morning after

    May 13, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    I think there will be some sore heads! Short video under.

    My night was interesting. I headed back to the albergue early. It’s a lovely place run by a young couple with two small children. Good facilities - I should take photos for those unfamiliar with albergues. My friends had arrived before me and were allocated a small room which they filled.

    I was in a huge room, with lots of bunks but only two older men. I don’t know why they took the adjoining bunks and not ones further away!

    A night full of snoring, interesting noises, and no sleep for me! Ah well, albergue living.

    Now I am in Grimaldo which does not really qualify as a stage but I’m catching a bus from here to Salamanca tomorrow- to catch up with a friend. And to buy a replacement wind jacket - having left mine behind somewhere. And it’s cold! Snow further north. Then I’ll bus back south to continue the walk.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2018
    Day 25

    Baños en fiesta

    May 16, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    A quick holiday from the holiday while I visited Salamanca by bus, to meet up with a friend. More of Salamanca when I walk there, in a couple of days.

    So from Salamanca I bused back to the Camino and to Baños. A thermal spa town that also happened to be having a fiesta. With everything closed. And the thermal baths “completo”. But free beer and alcoholic punch and cheese and jamón and beef with paprika stew and dulces and loud music and dancing and very friendly locals. One of whom was playing a saxophone made out of plumbing pipes - there’s an idea for you Ian. So here are some videos and photos of Baños.Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2018
    Day 25

    The hills

    May 16, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    I’m in them. A beautiful walk from Baños to Calzada. A steep climb out of Baños, a pretty shady path, walking alongside a babbling river, over a Roman bridge and road, with the sun shining but a cool wind blowing, wildflowers, cows, calves, the occasional horse, an eagle soaring high above and snow covered mountains visible nearby. What’s not to like? Now in Calzada, tiny little village in which time has stood still.Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2018
    1
    Day 27

    Will it rain?

    May 18, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    28 km today with nothing in between, no villages, no water, no services, and rain and thunderstorms are forecast. There are also lots of ups and downs. I have a plan B - the hosts at our next accommodation will pick us up at the 19km mark if we ring. Good to know. I am at the highest of the Via de la Plata. Some images from yesterday.Read more

  • TravelerCamino 2018
    1
    Day 27

    Almost half-way

    May 18, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    A good day of walking. The threatened rain held off, but cloud cover provided relief from a hot sun. It is hard to keep coming up with superlatives but it really was another beautiful day of walking. First along kilometres of Roman road between wide green paddocks, the Roman road marked by many “militaries” (1,000 paces apart - many still surviving), old stone walls, then a steepish climb up the Dehesa Dueña to the high point of the Plata and a fabulous view for miles on a hill topped by wind turbines. Down, down, down (a toboggan would have been fun) to more wide green paddocks and an enormous ranch on which are bred the famous fighting bulls (all behind fences thank you. A stop at the main homestead where I was being picked up by my kind host from the next village. Lots of very healthy free range chooks kept me happy while I waited for my lift, as well as the wonderful sight of a herd of cattle being moved from one paddock to another by three caballeros on horseback - too far away to capture on the camera except for the one who dropped into the house.
    Now happily in the Albergue de Elena and her husband, truly delightful hosts, in San Pedro, one day before Salamanca. A bed, not a bunk!    Read more

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